Replying to Your First RFP

Pamela Racer, GCAP Counselor (Asheville/Cullowhee)

You want to move into the government market. You have been looking at opportunities and would like to respond to a government Request for Proposal (RFP). You have found a RPP that seems to be a good fit for your business. Like every owner, you want to make sure that you are making the best representation for your business on your first opportunity.

Before responding to an RFP, it’s important to understand some basic items that go into shaping a successful response package. A RFP is a document that lays out the framework and requirements for a government solicitation. A RFP usually requires interested companies to respond to technical requirements and address how their product or service will address the government’s needs. An important thing to consider when responding to a RFP is that the customer will likely be receiving responses from several vendors, so you need to provide a clear narrative and lay out specifically what you have to offer as far as capabilities. With a RFP, the process is generally considered to be a formal request, meaning that the information you provide on your response regarding your solution or service needs to be highly detailed and precise.

Companies that want to have a serious competitive advantage in the government marketplace need to ensure that they are doing their “homework.” You should know who your competitors are and how your products or services are different from theirs. Presenting this information to the government will differentiate your response, allowing you to stand out from your competitors.

When responding to a government RFP, it’s imperative that all parties involved in providing a response (prime, subcontractor, teaming partner, etc.) fully understand the stated requirements. You will need to highlight your organization’s understanding of the client’s problems and real issues they face daily in the RFP response.

GCAP Trivia

QUESTION: How many Woman-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB) have current registrations in the State of North Carolina?



See below for the answer to this month's trivia question.

Opportunities 2022: Less Than a Month Away!

The Opportunities: Making Dollars and Sense of Selling to the Government conference is coming up on June 6 in Asheville. Join us at the event to market your company directly to prime contractors and government agencies, enhance your government contracting skills, and make connections that can help you move forward your contracting efforts. 

For more information, visit the Opportunities Conference website. Please contact Brooklyn Dellinger with any questions.

SAM UEI Replaced DUNS on April 4

Pamela Racer, GCAP Counselor (Asheville/Cullowhee)

Last month, the new Unique Entity ID generated in SAM became the official, government-wide identifier used for federal awards. To continue to help users during the transition, there will be an automatic, 30-day extension for any existing SAM entity registrations needing to be renewed with an expiration date ranging between Friday, April 29, 2022 and April 28, 2023. No action is required on the part of entity registrants.

Each impacted registration renewal will have 30 days added to their expiration date. As an example, an entity registration set to expire on June 1, 2022 will automatically be granted a 30-day extension to July 1, 2022. Entity administrators impacted by this change will receive an email from samadmin@sam.gov with the subject line “30-Day SAM Extension Granted for [Entity Name/Unique Entity ID/CAGE].”

The new expiration dates will be included in the SAM entity management extracts and available through web services after the records are extended. The extensions will be processed in a deliberate, incremental manner over the following several weeks. This will allow the U.S. government systems that rely on the data to consume it on their normal cadence.

If you need assistance with any of the IAE systems, including SAM, please contact the Federal Service Desk at FSD.gov. To learn more about the IAE and our systems, visit GSA.gov/IAE.

Ascent Digital Learning Platform for Women Business Owners

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration's Annual Business Survey data for 2019, women employer businesses numbered 1.1 million, employed 10.1 million workers, and accumulated $1.8 trillion in receipts. In an effort to support these entrepreneurs, the SBA launched Ascent, a first-of-its-kind, free, digital e-learning platform geared to help women entrepreneurs grow and expand their businesses. Ascent is a joint initiative between the White House, the SBA, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau and the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Designed to support women entrepreneurs looking to remain resilient in their operations, Ascent is packed with content and resources from each agency and backed by academic research. Ascent is a digital platform comprised of targeted education modules, called Journeys, that gives small business owners 24/7 access to critical information that addresses the unique needs of women entrepreneurs. Each Journey contains content and tools needed to grow your business.

Since its launch in January of 2021, the SBA’s Ascent platform has assisted nearly 50,000 businesses in writing business plans, getting business legal education, access to capital, and moving into the contracting space.

Now in 2022, the SBA is announcing the launch of two new educational modules for the Ascent platform. 

1. Partnerships Journey: This module explores the value of business partnerships, why they matter, and how they drive business growth. It has four components, including the value of business partnerships, opportunities, and strategic growth.
2. Entrepreneurial Leadership Journey: This module helps position small businesses for growth by building and refining leadership skills. It has 11 components designed to build confidence and improve decision management and leadership style techniques.

For more information on Ascent, please click here to register for free access today.

For more information on how women-owned businesses can maximize the unique advantages of any state, local, or federal certification they are eligible for, please contact your local GCAP counselor.

Success Story:

Mind Your Business

Pamela Racer, GCAP Counselor (Asheville/Cullowhee)

Founder and CEO Karen Caruso started Mind Your Business, Inc. from her own basement in 1996. Her intent initially was to screen a nanny who would care for her own children. Finding it near impossible to find a company that offered such employee screening services to private individuals, she started her own. Karen Caruso’s mission is to help her clients to make better, more informed hiring decisions. Through her dedication to accuracy, high-quality service, and excellence, Caruso has created a company that empowers her clients, her employees, and her community.

Thanks to these values, MYB has become a leading nationwide provider of background investigations, EEO investigations, and drug-screening services. MYB now stands as a testament to what a big vision, diligent, careful processes, and the passionate pursuit of reliable pre-screening can accomplish. MYB is a Woman-Owned Small Business with SBA 8(a) and HUBZone certification.

Early on in 1996, MYB targeted the government as a strong potential market but lacked the background knowledge and experience to successfully sell to government agencies.

The company has worked with GCAP since 2005, and GCAP assistance has covered virtually every topic in the government contracting arena. GCAP counselors have helped the client navigate registrations, assisted with specific solicitations, reviewed bid and proposal documents, provided strategic planning, provided 8(a) Program application support, and helped with advice and planning on marketing to the government. MYB has accomplished impressive results in government sales, including award of a GSA schedule contract for background screening and EEO investigation services, certification as an 8(a) firm by the U.S. Small Business Administration, and countless contract awards across a broad range of federal, state and local agencies.

Trivia Answer

North Carolina has only 141 WOSBs currently registered with the U.S. Small Business Administration, according to the SBA's Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) database.